SHAH ALAM, March 15 — The state government plans to send orphans in shelter homes in the state to the Selangor Technical Skills Development Centre (STDC) when they reach the age of 18.
State executive councillor for youth, sports and human capital development Mohd Khairuddin Othman said this would allow the group to have the necessary skills to help them enter the world of work.
“Most of these children cannot work after they reach 18 years old due to family stigma and lack of skills,” he said at the State Legislative Assembly sitting here today.
Therefore, the state government has held discussions with Yayasan Islam Darul Ehsan, Smart Selangor Ikhtisas and Technical Skills Initiative (Iktisass) and several other institutions about making STDC a continuation for the group after they left the shelter.
“We will make it mandatory for them to go (to STDC) before we release them into society,” Mohd Khairuddin said.
The councillor was responding to a question from Sungai Burong state assemblyman Datuk Mohd Shamsudin Lias on the government’s plan to increase employment opportunities for unemployed youth, especially school leavers in rural areas.
In the meantime, he said the data from the Statistics Department showed that rural areas have low unemployment rates.
“For example, in 2021, the unemployment rate in Kuala Langat was 3.3 per cent, Kuala Selangor 4.3 per cent, Sabak Bernam 3.9 per cent and Hulu Selangor 3.3 per cent, compared to the state’s unemployment rate of 4.3 per cent,” Mohd Khairuddin said.
He added the state government had successfully provided 3,053 job opportunities through two Selangor Mega Job Fairs, adding that two more similar programmes will be held this year.
— Bernama
